Farm bill could be boon for crop insurance firms

Law would end fixed payments to farmers

5:42 AM,
Jul. 31, 2013

Written by

Deirdre Shesgreen
Gannett

When the House passed a farm bill earlier this month, Ohio lawmakers touted a provision ending direct payments to farmers as a major reform that would help reduce the deficit and wean the agriculture sector off government subsidies.

"This bill is an important piece of reform for Ohio farmers and Ohio taxpayers," U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Columbia-Tusculum, said in a statement that mirrored opinions from other Ohio lawmakers.

There's no question the legislation marks a policy shift by nixing the fixed annual payments to farmers - checks that now go out whether farmers planted crops or not. ...